Lines That Make Songs Sound Dated.

...Speaking of San Francisco, and " 1999 "...on December 31, 1998 I was on Market Street, at the Powell Street turnaround, as the new year approached...And I started singing the Prince song, going I could start everyone singing along with me - but I didn't.
Too non-assertive, didn't really " sing out " at all. Sigh.

 

"Flew in from Miami Beach, BOAC"

 

Switchboard Susan, can we be friends?
After six, at weekends

(Back in the day, long distance telephone calls were cheaper after 6pm or on weekends.)

 

Yeah - there's no airport on Miami Beach!

 

"Take your TV tube and eat it." Zappa/Mothers-Trouble Comin Everyday

 

"Well I don't want to go to Vietnam, I'd much rather stay here and screw you mom" The Fugs/Doin Alright

 

"Start the projection machine..." "I know you're used to 16 or more, sorry we only have 8" Steely Dan/Everyone's Gone To The Movies

 

"Do you really think the Russians would have invaded Afghanistan if Rrrooonald Reagan were President?" another Waters snippet from Radio KAOS

 

"Something happened to me...something OH SO GROOVY!!" "Something rather trippy...SOMETHING OH SO TRIPPY!!"

"Something Happened To Me Yesterday" - The Rolling Stones (Between The Buttons)

 

Roger Daltrey - After The Fire

"I saw Matt Dillon in black and white/ there ain't no colour in memories."
Reference to the popular 1983 film Rumble Fish, which was filmed in black and white. Though Dillon is still around, I don't think many people under 30 have watched or are familiar with this movie.

"He rode his brother's Harley across the TV/ while I was laughing at Dom DeLuise.
Now I'm cycling all my video tapes/ I'm crying and I'm joking..."
I think this is probably a reference to the Cannonball Run movies, with Dom DeLuise and Burt Reynolds. These were hugely popular action-comedy movies in their day but may be a bit obscure today.
And "video tapes" have largely become obsolete.

Giant Crab - Hot Line Conversation

"Hot line conversation/ killed my reputation..."
This song is from the 1960s. Is there even an option to have a party line today on a land-line phone? I grew up in the 1970s/1980s and very few people had party lines even then.

 

Yes. And George updated the names when he played it live with Clapton in 1991, but today it's out of date again.

 

Mr Corbyn/Mrs May. Sorted. (admittedly Theresa May prefers to be addressed as Ms May but it doesn't scan).

 

A pretty generic stir-fry. In fact, if you've had 'chicken/beef/pork/etc stir-fry,' you've essentially had it. In America, it's commonly served with fried noodles.

 

The Kinks -"Living on a Thin Line"

Now another century nearly gone

 

Well, I can see her now in her tight blue jeans
Pumpin' all her money in the record machine

… And now I know how Joan of Arc felt
Now I know how Joan of Arc felt
As the flames rose to her roman nose
And her walkman started to melt